


Celestial

by Toxienne



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Assassins, But it was a childhood dream to make a story so Im gonna do it anyway, Deities, Demons, Edgy YA Novel, F/M, Friendship, Gargoyles, Gen, Gods, Humans, M/M, Mages, Original Fiction, Probably a bit cringe, Prophecy, Rivalry, Romance, Spirits, Vampires, War, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:20:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26350285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toxienne/pseuds/Toxienne
Summary: Two individuals, each from a bloodline of cursed humans destined to become powerful celestial tools of war, attempt to fight their fate by defying the very Deities that created them and their world.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was an edgy teenager, I had a lot of ideas for a story that was influenced by all the edgy YA novels I read in my youth.
> 
> Now that I am an edgy adult, I thought it would be fun to actually get it written out as a full story since I have become less stupid and more articulate. Probably still a bit stupid.
> 
> Either way, I'm going to have fun with this and see if I can make anything interesting out of it~
> 
> Any chapters posted here will swap between the POV of the two main characters, and likely be pretty rough first or second drafts for a while, so bear with me. Some fairly original and _un_ original themes, cliches and other fantasy babble typically found in that genre!  
> Feedback and critique _is_ welcome though!   
> Kudos and comments are welcome to keep me motivated <3

The ancient world of Kolterra was a desolate landscape, barren and sparse in everything before the Deities of the Sun and Moon had happened upon it.

Sol, embodying the physical sun, cultivated the earth, forming the mountains and plant life, and gave life to diurnal fauna. Her orbiter, Flarus, embodying the spiritual sun, provided the sunlight and warmth for the life that Sol created. 

Terrene, embodying the physical moon, cultivated the oceans that enriched the soil, forming the glaciers and rivers, and gave life to nocturnal fauna. His orbiter, Aluna, embodying the spiritual moon, provided the moonlight and shadow, and gave solace to those at the end of their life cycle.

For a million years, they lived in harmony, and the life they shared in creation grew and evolved in a perfect Utopia. 

But the old legend states that eventually, Terrene and Aluna became restless with one another, each claiming that they did not need the other to provide the role of the moon.  
Sol and Flarus had tried to reason with them, but they had grown stubborn and refused to work together. The absence of their harmony caused hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards and tidal waves. Their discord also sowed the seeds of sin within the mortals that inhabited Kolterra. 

It is said that two kingdoms had begun warring with each other over a petty marriage dispute. King Bastion would not allow his son to be wed to the daughter of Queen Cistine unless he was also made King of her kingdom. Queen Cistines kingdom was run for generations by a Matriarch however, and she rejected the idea, refusing to let her daughter be married into a Patriarchy. Since neither would accept the others conditions, it meant that neither had the power of the others kingdoms. So in their greed and wrath, they had declared war and planned to forcefully take each others kingdoms instead.  
Seeing an opportunity, Terrene came to King Bastion with an offer of power. He would grant everyone in the kingdom immense physical strength and longevity, creating a superhuman army capable of destroying Cistine and felling her kingdom, leaving it ripe for the taking. The only condition be that the tenthth son in King Bastions direct line be given to Terrene as an aspect, who Terrene can then use to destroy Aluna and become the one true moon.  
Seeing what treachery her brother had committed, Aluna came to Queen Cistine with a warning of the deal Terrene had offered King Bastion, and gave her a similar offer of power. Everyone in her kingdom would be granted the gift of immense magic, but it would come at two costs. In order to use the magic bestowed to them, they would first have to siphon spiritual energy from those around them. The second, Aluna had asked that the tenth daughter of Queen Cistines direct line be given to her as an aspect, so that she may use her to exact her revenge against her brother. 

Both Monarchs had agreed to the terms of their respective deal, and soon after, the first war in the history of all of Kolterra had broken out across the continent. The armies of King Bastion and Queen Cistine had clashed in a ferocious battle. Cistine led her army of sorcerers into the battlefield, they channeled their own spiritual energy into Cistine, and she had let out a mighty spell that instantly tore through half of King Bastions army. Half of her own army now lay unconscious and weak, but she pressed on. Her back line had come forward, intended to siphon the spiritual energy of those that lay dying on the enemies side, Cistine thought she had the upper hand. But no sooner had they charged, did they notice the dying and dead soldiers had risen, and turned on their own allies. She watched in horror as King Bastions army had begun to destroy itself, the soldiers biting and tearing at the flesh of their fellow soldiers, immediately regaining their health and empowering them further. It seemed Terrene had left out a detail. Just like Alunas gift of magic needed spiritual sustenance to utilize, Terrenes gift of power needed physical sustenance. By consuming the flesh and blood of others, King Bastions army had grown savage and barbaric, and a hundred times stronger than before.

Before long, the battlefield was red with blood, and magic radiated in the air. The atmosphere was sickening, and Cistine had called for a retreat. Seeing her own army on the brink of death, having siphoned their spiritual life force, she began to think of the magic less as a gift, and more of a curse. She didn't feel any better than those cannibalistic soldiers in her enemys army.  
King Bastion had also retreated, anguish in his heart. He also began to regret making his deal. He had wanted war, but not like this.

With both kingdoms fallen, the remaining survivors fled and went into hiding, starting their lives anew. King Bastion renounced his title, as did Queen Cistine, and they disappeared for the rest of time. Sol and Flarus looked on in despair, as dark creatures and powerful warlocks laid waste to the mortal realm, terrorizing humanity for hundreds of years.  
They eventually came to a third kingdom, small and unknown, and relayed the story to them. The kingdom became devout priests of the Deities of the Sun, raising a church in honour of them, and began the work of purifying all those dark creatures of the night.

This was the legend that was passed down for thousands of years, serving as the origin for the dark Fae creatures that inhabited the night. It was said that as new families formed from citizens of Bastions kingdom, and more family trees branched out, the power given by Terrene evolved and mutated by mixing bloodlines, giving birth to the likes of Vampires and Werewolves. The same was said for Cistines kingdom, the descendants of everyone of her surviving citizens became Demons, Warlocks and Banshees, their longevity owed to the life essence they siphon to fuel their magic.  
The descendants of the third unknown kingdom, are said to now be among some of the more powerful Priests, Healers and Paladins in existence, continuing to fight against Vampires, Werewolves and Demons alike, shunning Mages and Sorcerers. 

The existence of King Bastion and Queen Cistine are often debated, the legend was so old by now, that no one could even be sure of it's authenticity. But the Church of Solaris tells the tale to the inhabitants of Kolterra, even thousands of years after it was said to have happened.  
They also told of the Prophecy, where the Tenth Son of the Kingdom of Bastion and the Tenth Daughter of the Kingdom of Cistine would one day come of age and become Aspects of Terrene and Aluna, starting a whole new war and destroying Kolterra.

Some believed in it, but most didn't. The direct line from each family could not be traced, so no one was even sure the Tenth Son and Tenth Daughter even existed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ⊶ While this is an Alternate fantasy world, it still has some modern elements by the time the main story takes place. I always pictured it being similar to the world of Final Fantasy, particularly 7 or 8 when it comes to the mix of technology and magic and monsters.  
> ⊶ There will be mentions of modern day tech and other things.  
> ⊶ Everyone is aware of the existence of things like Vampires, Werewolves, Gargoyles, Mages, Warlocks, Banshees and all that other jazz that exist, but most of them are chill and don't rely on consuming anyone or their essence in order to survive. It's just that they can and it is one of the things that empower them and give them longevity, but it's a thing that's frowned upon, and against the law, so most just simply don't do it.  
> ⊶ There are some clans, families and individuals that do, however, still consume people or their essence, because they don't give a fuck about the law.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ⊶

Luka had grown up with the stories, and he knew his family was a direct descendant of the Legendary Vampire King Bastion. But he never believed any of it to really be _true_. To him, it was always just a legend, one his father was somehow very proud of. He always bragged about Luka's twin, Nikolai, being the first born and Tenth Son, and Luka had always just accepted that fact to placate his father.  
But his mothers last words as she lay on her death bed had haunted him. She made sure he knew, she said he deserved to know the real truth.  
Luka was indeed the first born, and Tenth Son of the Bastion bloodline. Having been born seconds before his brother, one day the time would come where he would have to give himself to the deity Terrene. His father had always denied it, claiming they were lies. He didn't want to believe that the runt of his two sons would be destined for such a thing, so he never accepted the truth. He was too proud, how could the son who wouldn't even drink blood, or fight for the family, be the one that was supposed to bring his family the glory of divine power once again? And so he claimed that the stronger, and younger of his sons, Nikolai was the true first born and heir to the divine ascension. But Luka knew his mother wouldn't lie.

He already cursed his existence as a vampire, but for the last six years he had also come to despise his fate as being nothing more than a tool for a millennia old feud. He was usually passive and good natured, something he got from his mother, but knowing his fate had quickly soured him. He had begun to act out against his father, furthering the contempt and rage he held for his first born. When an assassins attempt on his life had failed, Luka was sent away, promptly exiled and disowned from the family. His father seemed to think that if he was out of the way, that Nikolai would be chosen by Terrene instead. But Luka knew it was all just wishful thinking on his fathers part, though he wasn't going to pointlessly argue.

He wandered the continent alone for a year, drifting between towns and cities, killing time before the day would eventually come and he would be taken by Terrene. He'd stay for a few weeks each time, getting drunk, starting fights with the locals, sometimes finding girls who seemed interested in spending the night with a vampire. He had even drank blood from some of them, just for the hell of it. He didn't like taking blood from the unwilling, but he did like the taste and the rush of power he felt when he did drink, so he'd never pass up an offer from some willing young girl who had taken him home to spend a couple nights living out a fantasy. He was always careful not to take too much. While most people didn't outright fear him for being a vampire, there were some that were wary, and he never wanted to stay too long in one place for fear of being turned upon if he made a single misstep. 

This must have been the hundredth town he passed though. It was small and quaint, rows of tidy houses lined the edge, and the town centre held a lot of stores and pubs. There were some late night stragglers at some of the taverns, but otherwise the town was quiet and dark, only the light from a few street lamps, and the scattered square windows of some houses lit from the inside. His cursed existence didn't allow him to travel during the day. Just like a lot of the descendants of the kingdom, the sun would burn them if they stepped into it, though the descendants of King Bastion himself would be utterly and painfully destroyed if they did. Supposedly because their existence was shunned the most by the Deities of the Sun, though he never believed that to be true until recently.  
He had planned to just walk straight through this town, and into the next before sunrise, nothing seeming to catch his eye here. That was until he noticed a winding cobblestone path leading from the main square up a small hill. A large stone gate seemed to stretch high above, stone walling off the property inside. He changed his course to head there, a sudden bout of curiosity overtook him about what could be hidden away. 

The stone walls were lined with moss and ivy, they looked old. They were pretty high, but Luka figured he could make the jump. He had cat-like reflexes and nimbleness, he thought to himself, and he made a jump up the side of the fifteen foot wall. Grasping at the edge and digging a foot into the side, he kicked off and up, landing silently on the top of the wall. A vast garden sat below him, spanning quite a ways back before making a stop in front a very large estate. It looked easily like it had four floors and a large roof attic in the centre of two tall towers. All the lights inside seemed to be off, except for one near the top of the left tower. Curiosity got the better of him and he dropped down into the garden and made his way through it, looking at all the exotic flora. There was a large herb garden, filled with all sorts of herbs, spices, and other plants typically used in alchemy. A lot of them seemed to be native to the continent, but some were clearly from over the sea. He wondered how they grew here in this climate. One flower in particular was taller and larger than the other plants, and its red petals seemed to glow. He got closer, looking into it, he'd never seen a flower like it before.

He didn't get long to ponder before he heard a loud of flap of wings behind him. He had been so engrossed in the garden, he hadn't even picked up on it approaching.

"Are you lost, ma'am?" An emotionless voice asked. 

"Ma'am?!" Luka scoffed, and quickly turned around to face a giant, grey man, easily towering a foot or two over him. He had large wings behind him, and his arms were folded across a bare, _very_ muscular chest. Yellow eyes stared down from a pale, expressionless face. It was a gargoyle. 

"I apologise. You looked like a woman." The gargoyle spoke sternly.

Luka gave a light chuckle, running a hand through his hair. He had originally grown it out as another act of rebellion against his father after his mother died, it made him look like her, and his father hated that. But he quite liked the way the long black locks fell lazily behind him so he had kept letting it grow, it now almost reached his hips. He also wasn't particularly buff, in fact he was very tall and slender. He would indeed have looked very much like a woman from behind.

"Is there a reason I find a vampire sneaking around in Master Callemaine's grounds in the early hours of the morning?" 

"Well, I wouldn't say I was _sneaking_."

"No, not really." The gargoyle agreed and grabbed him by the scruff of his coat, unfolding his wings.

"Oh, no thank you." Luka started, raising his arms, "I'd like to stay on the ground."

"Master Callemaine wishes to speak with you." 

With a flap of his wings, the gargoyle had taken to the air, dragging Luka up by the scruff as he was kicking and yelling objections. They had flown over the large estate and landed on a balcony of one of the towers at the back of building. Luka was thrown down, but he landed nimbly on his feet, brushing out the creases in his coat where the gargoyles large hand had bunched the fabric. He looked up to see an old man dressed in a scholars robe standing in the doorway. His scruffy white beard rested on his chest, his balding head shining a reflection of the lights behind him. 

"Master Callemaine, I presume?" Luka said with a smirk. "You have a _lovely_ garden."

"Why, thank you!" The old man chipped. "And how is it you came to be in my garden?"

Luka thought for a moment, he wasn't really sure. For some reason he felt an overwhelming need to look at what was behind those stone walls, something he'd never really given much thought to in other towns with similar estates. 

"I wanna say I was _drawn_ to it." Luka teased, trying to keep up his cocky facade.

"Oh wonderful!" Callemaine exclaimed, "That means it works!" 

He turned back into the house, motioning for Luka to follow. He hesitated for a moment, confused about what was going on, but reluctantly made to follow behind the old man. He could hear him loudly spouting words but Luka wasn't listening, he was fixated on the array of shelves and tables full of all sorts of books, glass cups and bottles, some filled with ominous looking concoctions. Found the the alchemist, he thought to himself. 

"But this is amazing!" The voice of old man Callemaine snapped him back.  
"But I'm wondering just _how_ effectively it works! Tell me, who is your father? Is your father a first born son? And was _his_ father also a first born son? Oh, were _you_ a first born son?!"

Luka was bewildered with the sudden enthusiastic onslaught of questions. But he soon realised this man must be wanting to know if the Tenth Son of Bastion had somehow stumbled into his garden. He was surprised, he hadn't thought about it much himself for a few months now, having sufficiently distracted himself with all sorts of debauchery. It was off-putting to suddenly hear someone other than his own family mention anything about it though.

"You think I trespassed in your garden because I'm the Tenth Son?" He finally asked, an air of disbelief in his voice.

"Possibly!" Callemaine answered.  
"You see, I have this lure of sorts planted in my garden. It's usually for scaring _away_ unwanted creatures who might disturb the garden. But!"

Luka flinched at the sudden raise in the old mans voice, and he thought back to the glowing red flower.

"I had it modified, you see, skilled an alchemist as I am! It now lures creatures _to_ my garden! Vampires, particularly. I used vampire blood to do it."

"Do I wanna know how you came by that?" Luka shivered. He had kept his facade up nicely for the most part, but he felt himself slip as he grew more anxious about his situation.

"Oh, I was given it! Don't worry." Callemaine chipped in reassurance, but it didn't reassure him that much.  
"Every time I hear there may be one about to pass through, started it up in the hopes they'll wander into town and come and have a look! I've had a few vampires come through here and there, but none of them seemed to be what I was looking for, so I turned them lose!"

"You willingly draw vampires to your home?" Luka puzzled, "Isn't that... a bit reckless? Not every one of us is as docile as we may appear to be."

"That's what I have _him_ for!" Callemaine scoffed and waved a hand, gesturing behind Luka.

Luka was suddenly painfully aware of the gargoyle still stood behind him, he hadn't followed them inside, but his huge size blocked the only escape. It was well known that vampires weren't particularly well matched against those large, brooding creatures with the ability to petrify anything and anyone. He felt a lump in his throat, and tried to swallow. His mouth had become horribly dry, and adrenaline had begun rushing through him with every beat of his pulse. Despite the old mans cheery demeanor, Luka felt like he couldn't trust him, whatever he wanted with the Tenth Son, it couldn't be good. He already knew there were people out to kill him, though he wasn't afraid of death itself, he was afraid of what came before it.

"Anyway!" Callemaine laughed, "I was recently given a vial of blood said to belong to a great grandson of the Cursed King! So I had a theory that maybe by using it, it may specifically draw a descendant of his specifically!"

Luka stood, mulling all the information over in his head. He wondered if he could bluff his way out, remembering the old mans own uncertainty about whether it had really drawn in a descendant.

"Sorry to disappoint, old man." Luka finally said, and he saw Callemaine's hopeful expression fade into one of defeat and sadness.

"Well, that's rather unfortunate." The old mad sighed, and Luka braced himself. "I had so hoped to find the Tenth Son, or at least someone who knew where to find him. But I suppose that would be too easy. I heard there was a vampire passing through the nearby towns, but you're still only the first one to come since I began using this blood as a lure."

"What exactly do you hope to do if you found the Tenth Son?" Luka asked.

"Well, I want to try and _save_ him from his terrible fate." Callemaine mused, as if he himself believed it would be a hopeless endeavour, but just a hint of determination still showed, and Luka realised his judgement may have been misplaced.

"I think I may know where to find him." He assured timidly, not even really sure where he was planning to go with this.

Callemaine straighten up and his face brightened. He began muttering and rambling about something Luka couldn't quite hear, and before long he had been ushered out a hidden door behind a bookcase and down a long stairwell. He no longer felt too threatened, so he didn't resist and let himself be escorted into the main house of the estate, leaving the gargoyle on the balcony.

"Oh! This is tremendous!" Callemaine said, continuing to shove Luka through the hallways and down another flight of stairs.

"Now, I know you're a wanderer normally, but I _must_ insist you stay here as my guest if you are truly willing to help, the world depends on it!"

Luka was in too much disbelief to really react, it was all happening so fast. One moment he was strolling through a quiet town in the dead of night and the next he was being flown into a large mansion and ushered around by an energetic, eccentric old man. He caught sight of someone at the bottom of the stairs, likely having come to see why the master of the house was raving. A tall, solemn looking woman stood in a doorway that connected another long hallway to what seemed to be the main foyer they were in. She may have been a Banshee, Luka figured. She was pale as the moon, shrouded in a long black robe, and he couldn't tell where her hair black hair ended and her robe began. A bright purple pendant hung from her neck, and he could see the fire from the lamps reflected in it even from where he was.

"Ah! Nero!" Callemaine addressed the woman excitedly. "This young vampire man has come from the _lure_! He knows how to find the Tenth Son!"

Luka saw a look of slight shock hit the woman's otherwise expressionless face, but she said nothing and just watched him be lead away. He gave her an awkward chuckle before he was pivoted by Callemaine down the opposing hallway and into another stairwell. They headed down into what seemed like the basement.

"I have many spare rooms here, but I suppose you would be better suited to a room where the sun cannot reach."

Callemaine stopped at a door and unlocked it. He turned on the light and dimmed it slightly, illuminating a very spacious room with a large four poster bed and a desk. A fireplace sat against one wall, and next to it was a door that seemed to be a bathroom. The room had no windows, but the walls were decorated with a few paintings and curtains to make it look a little more comforting. Luka let his feet take him in, and he immediately had his attention on one particular painting. It was a landscape with a garden, but it was the sunset in the background he was drawn to. He had heard stories of the sun, and seen some paintings and pictures, but he'd never seen it with his own eyes.

"I hope that's not offensive to you." Callemaines voice broke him from his fixation on the painting, and he shook his head.

"It's not. Listen," He began to say, "You're, uh... _incredibly_ accommodating, but I can't stay here. You've just taken everything I've said at face value. Besides, how do you I'm not going to be a danger to you or anyone else you have living here?"

"Nonsense." The old man scoffed. "I'm going to take every little inch I get when it comes this matter. If you claim to know where the Tenth Son is, I will keep you here and find out if that's the truth or not. It may be a waste of my time, but I don't have other options."

Callemaine took a step into the room, looking and sounding more serious than he had been before.

"The prophecy only stated that the Aspects will be taken when they come of age, but given the longevity the curses have granted to the descendants, there's no real way of telling when that even is. It's much easier to deduce with normal humans. I don't want to waste any options I'm given, even if they're a goose chase. If the Aspects ascend, a war _will_ break out, and not just this continent, but all of Kolterra will suffer for it."

Luka felt his stomach drop. He didn't want to hurt anyone, let alone lead a celestial war that will claim thousands of lives.

"Besides," Callemaine continued. "My gargoyle, Veryn, has already told me your spiritual power is weaker than most vampires. It seems you don't feed very often, and not a lot when you do. Or you'd appear much stronger than you do. I'm certain I can trust at least that. But even if I'm mistaken, Veryn will make sure you do not act in an unsavoury manner."

Luka stood in silence for a moment before giving a shrug and taking another look around the room.

"I'm sorry, dear boy." Callemaine spoke again, "I never asked your name!"

"Luka."

With that final word, Callemaine nodded and smiled, and closed the door. Luka heard his footsteps recede back up the stairs. He stood in the middle of the room for a while. What had he gotten himself into, he thought. He had meant to leave as soon as he was given an opening, but hearing Callemaine talk about wanting to stop the ascension, a part of him had acted on its own. Deep down, he knew he wanted the same thing. He didn't know if it was possible at all, but even the smallest bit of hope seemed better than just wasting himself away until the final day came.

He collapsed on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He still wasn't sure how he would spin his story, but he figured he might be able to get away with winging it for a while. He also wasn't sure why he didn't just admit to being the Tenth Son, once he heard Callemaine could be an ally. A part of him still seemed to be in denial about it all, plus he'd learned not to be too trusting of anyone anymore. He shook the thoughts from his head. It seemed he'd been here long enough that the sun would be rising soon, so there would be nothing to do about any of it now anyway. He stretched out and rolled over, deciding to get some sleep.

Maybe he could mooch for a little while, get some more information from Callemaine about the whole thing. Maybe he could he do something about it himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Nero's family had been devoted to the spiritual moon for generations, and they believed themselves gifted with spiritual powers that enabled them to carry out the will of Aluna.  
Her mother had always told her that she was a gift from Aluna herself, chosen specifically to become the next High Priestess of their temple. She grew up never questioning it, never suspecting there may be more to the legend she was told. She was kept sheltered from the outside world, and her only solace came in the form of her childhood best friends, Ruxander and his younger sister Seraphine. She had often confided in her friends about her unease, wondering if she would even make a good High Priestess. Her mother was the current High Priestess, beloved by the town, and she worried she wouldn't live up to the expectation.

Being from a wealthy family, Nero never wanted for anything, and her parents showered her with love and affection, as well as material things. They let her do anything she wanted, as long as she stayed within the grounds of their vast estate. They always claimed it was simply to keep her safe, but a part of her had always wanted to leave and see the world, danger or not. 

When she was old enough, she was allowed to train in combat, given two blades held sacred by her family. According to the records of the temple, they once belonged to the daughter of Queen Cistine, and were imbued with the essence of the moon itself. She honed her power over the years, and grew into a powerful and beautiful spirit mage. The whole maternal side of the family had been Banshees, each generation growing more powerful. While banshees existed outside of the direct bloodline, only those directly descended from Queen Cistine herself had evolved into what was known as an Ethereal, a term coined by her own grandmother, named for the form they were able to take when using their magic. They held all immense spiritual power even without having to drain the essence of anyone, and by the time Nero was born, the Tenth Daughter in the bloodline, she held the most potential of anyone, being the only daughter able to permanently hold an ethereal form. 

Eventually, Nero's ethereal form became dominant, and she was no longer able to hold a physical form, and she worried she would never be able to marry or have children. Ruxander had crafted an amulet capable of holding a physical form for her, masking her ethereal form and making her appear normal. When he presented it to her, he had also asked for her hand, and she accepted without hesitation. 

It was during his search into finding a more permanent solution that he had come across old archives, and he discovered more to the legend of Aluna, including the prophecy of the war between the Aspects. He had confronted Nero's parents on her behalf, and they didn't deny that they had kept it a secret, but they also told him they had full intentions on upholding the deal Queen Cistine had made with Aluna all those years ago, and they would give up their daughter to her willingly.

Ruxander had warned Nero, explaining how her parents had planned to offer her to Aluna to become a tool for war. Anguish overtook her, and she began to fear her own power, terrified it would be used to kill everyone she knew in a needless war that no one in living memory deserved to be a part of. One night, she attempted to take her own life in the hopes she could put a stop to the prophecy, but she failed. Ruxander comforted her, and told her of an alchemist across the continent who he had heard was attempting to find a way to stop the prophecy himself. He suggested she run away to find him, and he helped her escape without being noticed.

She had gathered a small amount of her belongings, and some items she stole from the temple, hoping they may be of some use in defying the prophecy. In particular, a vial of blood said to belong to a descendant of King Bastion, and the twin blades supposedly imbued with the power of the spiritual moon. Nero and her fiancee said their final goodbyes, and left the vast estate and the forest town it was seated in, likely never to return.

It wasn't long before she made her way to small town, and she was immediately confronted by a large gargoyle at the gates of the giant mansion, who brought her to the Master of the house. She introduced herself as Nero, and admitted she was the Tenth Daughter. But she begged that it be kept between them, for fear of frightening the others that lived on the property. Master Callemaine had welcomed her warmly, inviting her to stay as long as she wanted on the condition that she aid him in discovering a way to stop the ascension.

She was given a room with a private balcony over looking the garden in the back of the vast property, and she spent months and months of sleepless nights staring out into the sky, cursing the moon and wishing for a normal life. It was this night in particular, however, that she felt increasingly anxious and alone lying in her bed hoping to fall asleep. Tonight was the night Callemaine would attempt to lure in a vampire using the vial of blood she had given him, hoping it would be a descendant of King Bastion that would come. She knew it was a long shot, but thinking about it reminded her of how high the stakes were, how much she had already sacrificed to be on this path of defiance. She missed Seraphine, and her bed felt colder without Ruxander.   
She threw the blankets off and got out of bed, pulling on a black robe and leaving her room. She normally wouldn't think to find comfort in anyone else in this mansion, but she just didn't want to be alone. She descended the large stairs of the foyer and headed down the long hallway towards Aria's room. Out of everyone here, she'd the one to be able to snap Nero out of her thoughts.

"Aria?" She whispered as she knocked lightly on the door. "Are you still awake?"

She waited a couple seconds, and the door opened slowly, revealing a mass of bright red. Arias hair was lose around her broad shoulders, messy and unkempt. She looked like she may have been tossing and turning herself.

"Can't sleep either?" The red head scoffed and moved aside to let Nero in.

"I can't stop thinking about it." Nero started, sitting down in a chair near the fireplace. "I have such conflicting feelings about tonight. I know that it's likely nothing will come of it, but I can't stop thinking about everything because of it. I'm terrified that we'll find him."

"It's not _that_ scary, is it?" Aria teased. "Vampires are much easier for us to handle than a Banshee."

Nero swallowed a lump in her throat.

"It's not that." She started, but realised she couldn't explain what she meant.

No one here but Callemaine and his gargoyles knew who Nero really was. She'd never mentioned much else about her past either, nothing about leaving Ruxander and Seraphine behind, nothing about how she had made an attempt on her own life only to fail. There was a part of her that just wanted to ignore what she would become, to return home and marry Ruxander, to live out whatever time she had left before the war would happen. She knew that was impossible, but it didn't stop her from yearning for it.

"It feels like." Nero finally said. "It feels like once we find the Tenth Son, that everything will finally sink in and become _real_. So far I've been living as if I'm dreaming, not quite believing everything myself. I left behind a fiance when I came here."

Aria's expression soften and she clicked her tongue, sitting down on the floor next to the fireplace and resting a hand on Nero's knee.

"I could have had a future with him if it weren't for all of this. I don't know why I didn't just take him _with_ me..."

"You wanted to protect him." Aria's hand squeezed comfortingly, she was normally the tough type, it was strange to hear her speak so softly.

"I came here for a kick in the ass!" Nero joked.

"Yeah, well I was about to, but I know the feeling of losing someone close to you. He give you that?" Aria nodded her head towards the pendant that hung from Nero's neck.

She nodded as she touched it lightly. She was about to explain a little about the romantic gesture when the faint sound of Callemaine's excited voice seemed to travel down the halls. Aria made a scoff, getting up and cracking the door a little to hear what was going on.

"Oh, just Cal being Cal I think. Excited about something else that's probably gonna be disastrous."

"Maybe the lure worked?" Nero asked with a dread forming in her stomach. She got up and pushed past Aria, looking out the doorway toward the main foyer.

"Well, check it out for both of us then." Aria groaned. "I'm gonna try get some sleep before I have to deal with whatever that is tomorrow. You should too."

Aria gave Nero's shoulder a light pat and headed towards her own bed. Nero closed the door behind her and made her way down the hallway, stopping just in the entrance, watching Callemaine usher a confused looking vampire down the large staircase. He was tall and slender, with long black hair and piercing silver eyes. She could feel his spiritual power was significantly weaker than all the other vampires Callemaine had come through while she was here, and she realised there wasn't a trace of anything to suggest he had drank blood in the last few weeks. It seemed he purposefully avoided drinking blood, at a detriment to his own physical strength. He wouldn't be that much stronger than an average human. She picked up something else from him too, something she couldn't put her finger on.

"Ah! Nero!" Callemaine suddenly exclaimed, snapping her from her thoughts. "This young vampire man has come from the _lure!_ He knows how to find the Tenth Son!"

Nero felt her stomach drop, and she thought she might faint as her vision blackened. That's what she noticed; his essence resembled the blood in the vial she had given to Callemaine, the one she stole from the alter in her mothers temple. If he wasn't the Tenth Son, then he definitely knew who was. This vampire was a direct descendant of whoever's blood was in that vial. The lure _did_ work, she thought.  
The vampire gave her a nervous chuckle before he was shoved into the hallway opposite her, disappearing into the darkness with Callemaine still rambling. She ran up the stairs, making her way back to her room. Her heart was throbbing in her throat and adrenaline was rushing through her as anxiety began to set in.

She slammed her door closed and rushed to the bathroom. She hung over the toilet bowl, feeling like she may throw up at any second, her thoughts racing. Her worries had come true, there was _definitely_ no going back now. Any thoughts she had about forgetting the whole thing were burned away. She straightened up, trying to calm herself down.  
She had failed to take her own life all those months ago, because the moon wouldn't allow her life to be taken by anyone other than the Tenth Son, she was sure of that.  
She had already decided before she found Callemaine that if she ever came across the Tenth Son, she would let him kill her before either of them could ascend. She was now closer to that goal than she had been in the months leading up to this night.

She didn't think it would terrify her as much as it did.


End file.
